Reconstructing American Democracy

(Getty / The Atlantic)

The country continues to struggle through the Trump regime's destruction American democracy, even during the semiquincentennial. At the same time, two of the architects behind the rise of modern American fascism, Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell are finally dead. Trump is likely to die soon too. After all, 80 year-old demented bigots fueled by diet coke, fast food, and obsessive social media habits aren't exactly known for their longevity. And given the current polling around the upcoming midterm elections showing widespread anger over utterly predictable corruption and incompetence by the regime, it's clear that rightwing control is facing a period of fragility.

All of this has got me thinking more about the need for a new reconstruction era and what it should look like when this national nightmare finally ends. If it ever ends. American fascism didn't start with Trump and there are plenty of acolytes willing to sell their souls for power. But for those of us who actually care about this country what is needed to build a better future for ourselves?

There are been many of well-researched plans from experts and organizers, journalists and pundits, about exactly how to save American democracy. But here's a summary of my plan:

With Any Progressive Majority:

1. Immediately begin the process to impeach, prosecute, convict, and sentence every single official and collaborator of the Trump regime, including in Congress and on the Supreme Court, and especially Trump himself.

With a Progressive Senate Majority:

2. End Senate rules that prevent the majority from passing any laws or confirming presidential nominees, including the Senate filibuster, unanimous consent, unlimited amendments, and the blue-slip process.

3. Expand the Supreme Court from 9 to 13 individuals and appoint progressive jurists for each new seat, giving the court an immediate 7 to 5 majority.

With a Progressive Congressional Majority:

4. Expand the House of Representatives from 435 members to a minimum of 600 and develop a minimum ratio of legislators to constituents.

5. Provide statehood to Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories, creating a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 new states.

6. Pass legislation to abolish the electoral college and all forms of gerrymandering, while making voter registration automatic, all primaries open, all voting ranked-choice, and all elections into federal holidays.

With Progressive Control of Government:

7. End money in politics, starting with overturning Citizens United and similar pro-corruption rulings, and finishing with the implementation of all publicly-funded elections. 

8. Order the payment of restitution and reparations for every single American harmed by the regime's crimes and corruption, particularly from the Trump DOJ, tariffs, DOGE cuts, as well as the wars against Iran, Venezuela, and others.

9. Amend the Constitution to require biannual budget, a second bill of rights, the equal rights amendment, universal suffrage, and the complete abolition of slavery.

10. Impose strict ethics rules and term limits on all government officials, particularly Congress, the President, and Supreme Court Justices, including bans on stocktrading, revolving-door lobbying, and other conflicts of interest.

11. Create a new fourth branch to restore full checks and balances, the Administrative branch, headed by an independently elected attorney general to enforce ethics requirements on all branches and manage domestic law enforcement.

While this is an ambitious wish list full of complicated assumptions that could be individual items on their own, this is the what I think is minimally necessary to reconstruct American democracy and protect it from future corruption. This doesn't even get into many of the policy debates. My focus is primarily on the basics of participatory good government, individual liberty, and social justice.

It's nice to dream of what could be, if only to remind us of why we're fighting against what is.

Take note and take care.